As a result of the Spanish national football team’s recent victory in the South Africa World Cup, the Leading Brands of Spain Association has analysed the impact of this success on Spain’s image abroad. This project was led by AMRE’s Managing Director and covered by various media. On Saturday 17 July, the business daily Expansión published an opinion article by Miguel Otero entitled ‘The Spain Brand and the Reds: a perspective from China’. This article analysed the repercussion of the world cup victory in the strategic market of China and the need for the government and brands to harness the potential for promoting their image as a result of an event of such importance. He suggested this should be achieved through an image plan that brings together the work of different bodies to promote Spain’s image.

Movistar, Santander, BBVA and Zara are rightly among the 100 most valuable brands in the world, according to the BrandZ ranking issued by the consulting firm Millward Brown. The ranking is led by four technology brands (Google, IBM, Apple and Microsoft), followed closely by Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Marlboro and China Mobile. The 100 most valuable brands in 2009 were valued at 2.04 billion dollars (1.54 billion euros). Google leads the BrandZ ranking for the fourth consecutive year as the world's most valuable brand, worth $114,000 million dollars (86,250 million euros) in 2009, some 14% higher than the previous year.

The Report of the Leading Brands of Spain Forum’s 10th Anniversary was presented and given out to attendees of the Forum’s 10th Anniversary commemoration event held on 15 December in the conference hall of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce. The report lists the activities carried out by the Forum over the last ten years, as well as the main milestones the institution has reached since 1999. Accordingly, the information on these activities is organised into the following chapters, depending on the profile of each project: Ambassador Brands and Image of Spain; Research and Publications; Training and Circulation; and Institutional Co-operation and Communication.

The President of USP Hospitals and member of the Leading Brands of Spain Association’s Board of Directors, Gabriel Masfurroll, wrote an opinion column for the newspaper Expansión. The article published on 15 August, entitled ‘Made in/by Spain’ encourages Spanish business leaders not to try and conceal the origin of their products and to exploit the potential of the brands to ensure that Spain’s image abroad is set at a level in line with the reality of the country.

The Spanish Tourism Institute has presented its new campaign to promote Spain abroad, highlighting the need to promote the country’s image in order to attract international tourism. The Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism, Joan Mesquida, revealed the main lines of the new campaign, which will run under the slogan ‘I need Spain’.

In an act that took place at the Municipal Conference Centre in Madrid on 19 June, chaired by T. R. H. the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Leche Pascual, Mapfre and BBVA, companies belonging to the Leading Brands of Spain Association, were awarded Prince Felipe Awards for Business Excellence in the respective categories of Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency, Internationalisation and Leading Brand.